What is with the UK Telegraph misinformation about global warming?

Question

Several times now we've seen global warming deniers link articles from the UK Telegraph which have contained misinformation and lies regarding global warming. The most recent one claimed that the planet has cooled to 1983 levels, when in reality we're currently ~0.4°C warmer than 1983.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/11/25/nbook125.xml
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/2005/ann/global-blended-temp-pg.gif

So what is the deal with the UK Telegraph? Is it like Britain's equivalent of The Washington Times, New York Post, FOX News, and Rush Limbaugh or something?

Parrot - yes both questions today linked the same Telegraph article, but I recall several other poor articles from that paper linked by global warming deniers (though I think they were all from the Opinion section).

Thanks for the info, Twilight and Trevor.

Answer 1

The Daily Telegraph is a very right-wing, ultra-conservative daily newspaper, the Sunday version is the Sunday Telegraph which contains more editorial and numerous supplements which, if anything, are more conservative and right-wing than the weekday issues.

They have run various 'anti' global warming stories but consistently fail to include any sources, which I notice they have done again with this most recent article. From time to time they include 'pro' GW stories as well - it seems to depend on who the journalist is. On balance they're more anti than pro.

It's almost traditional in the UK that one newspaper will take a stand against all the others in order to appeal to like minded readers. For example, all the newspapers take a stand against the war in Iraq - apart from one, they all demand tougher immigration laws - apart from one, they all oppose the extreme nationalists - apart from one. In fact, it would be unusual in the UK if all the papers were to agree on a single issue.

One of the good things about being in the UK is that the BBC are impartial (despite what the skeptics may claim). They're a publicly funded organisation and are obliged by law to remain impartial and present all sides of any argument. If the skeptics were able to come up with a credible argument against global warming the BBC would have to balance their editorial output by including it.

This isn't true of the press or independent broadcasters who are free to produce whatever content they wish, no matter how one sided or inaccurate it is.

- - - - - - -

TO JIM Z:

1) How about answering the question.

2) As I said in my answer, the BBC is required by law to be impartial. If it's not then it gets heavily fined. As I also said in my answer, skeptics will disagree that the BBC is impartial but then skeptics systematically accuse anyone and everyone that disagrees with them of being impartial, paid off, part of a conspiracy, anything rather than address the scientific issues of the debate.

3) You accuse me of being a 'flaming leftist', yet another example of you drawing your own conclusions with no evidence to corroborate them.

Answer 2

It's been summed up already so I'll just summarise. The Telegraph is the UK's most right wing paper and I suppose you could equate it to Fox in that way. It's really anti-immigration and continuously criticised Tony Blair during his tenure as British Prime Minister. (Blair is supposedly a Leftist)
It really annoys though me that the global warming debate seems to be split between so called "liberals" and "conservatives". This just stymies the debate and serves the interests of nobody.

Answer 3

Actually, if you look at the US temps, you will see that we have cooled from the high of 1998. Since 1998, the temp has declined for several years. Although, I am not sure this is a fair comparison in that 1998 was only warm due to El Nino, not CO2 levels. Of course, this does not stop AGW promoters from throwing out 1998 as one of the hottest years. And as for 2007, how can anyone say anything about it since we are still in 2007?

http://data.giss.nasa.gov/gistemp/graphs/

I am not sure what he meant about comparing to 1983. I think he meant 1981. As for the statement regarding most of the US temp records being held in the 1930's, he is correct, with the warmest ever still being 1934.

Answer 4

The simplest answer is yes, it is the equivalent of Fox, and it is owned by the same news media empire as Fox. Though the contents of the telegraph are aimed at a somewhat different demographic.

The telegraph is generally considered to be a respectable paper, but it does have some strong "opinion columnists" who you will likely find to be the source of most of the misinformation you cite. A lot of those columns are refuted as they occur in the telegraphs main ideological rival paper and its environmental writer, the websites for which I have listed for you in sources.

Answer 5

Actually, I think the questions were both linking to the same article. The article was, if I'm not mistaken, an opinion piece. From what I understand, the Telegraph occasionally publishes articles from both sides of the debate.

But yeah, the article was kind of silly. It's really difficult to convincingly lie about stuff that's so easy for people to go check on their own.

Answer 6

Trevor sure gave me a good laugh. The BBC is impartial. Yeah right. Only a flaming leftist would claim that. They are so partisan yet they consider their position to be in the middle fair and balanced approach. It is amazing that they never see themselves as partisan or their agenda as political yet to me it clear is.

Answer 7

Is it wrong or can you just not accept the truth.

Answer 8

i dont think they do anythin about it do u